Haying Scene, Julien Dupré (1884)
By the 1880s, France’s agricultural economy was suffering difficulties, but Julien Dupré presented an idealized view of attractive peasants happily at work in the fields. Here, a young woman arranges hay to create stacks which will be loaded onto the cart behind her. The rendering of the stormy sky indicates Dupré’s sensitivity to weather conditions. Dupré trained as an academic painter and developed a style featuring impeccable draftsmanship and rich color.
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